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How locals travel the lakes: routes, timetables, tickets and prices of Navigazione Laghi – and how scheduled boats and a private boat tour complement each other.
Navigazione Laghi is the state-run shipping service on the three great northern Italian lakes: Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Garda. Around 99 ships and boats serve more than 100 landing stages and carry over 11 million passengers a year. Anyone looking for timetables and tickets will find everything on the official Navigazione Laghi website – seasonal timetables are available as PDFs, daily notices about cancellations are shown and tickets can be bought online. Alternatively, every larger pier has a ticket office where you can buy on the spot.
For travellers from German-speaking countries, this means in concrete terms: instead of struggling along narrow shore roads and desperately hunting for parking in Como, Bellagio or Stresa, you simply board the ferry and let the lake do the work. The public boats are part of the region's public transport – comparable to a bus or train, only on the water. Public shipping connects historic lakeside villages, from Cernobbio to Varenna, from Menaggio to the Borromean Islands.
The difference from private boat tours is crucial: while Navigazione Laghi follows a fixed scheduled service, providers like Striga Constanze offer exclusive private tours on their traditional gaff cutter on Lake Maggiore, with a route of your choice and at your own pace. This article is aimed at day-trippers and holidaymakers visiting the lakes between Easter and autumn 2027 – and shows how public service and a private experience complement each other perfectly.
Anyone who has watched the villas of Lake Como glide past from the deck of a ferry, the snow-capped peaks above Lake Maggiore or the lemon groves on Lake Garda immediately understands: the journey across the water is the real experience. The waters of the northern Italian lakes are more than a transport surface – they are the heart of one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe.
The key advantages over the car are obvious:
At tourist hotspots like Bellagio, Stresa or Desenzano, parking is scarce and expensive in season.
The shore roads on Lake Como are notorious for bottlenecks and traffic jams, especially between Cernobbio and Menaggio.
Travelling by boat saves motorway tolls and fuel costs.
Regular ferries have open decks with lovely views of villas, monasteries, islands and mountain scenery.
The service has proven itself over decades: the first steamships sailed these lakes as early as 1826, and since 1957 the service has been state-run as the Gestione Governativa Navigazione Laghi. Fares, timetables and network are tried and reliable.
But sometimes the scheduled service isn't enough. If you want to celebrate a special occasion – a wedding anniversary, a family outing or simply an afternoon in complete peace – a private boat tour is worth it. On the gaff cutter Striga Constanze, for example, you sail Lake Maggiore exclusively with up to 8 guests, with a swim stop in hidden bays and an aperitivo at sunset.
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+ €20 p. p.Private tourHow it works
Navigazione Laghi covers three lakes with slightly different networks. Each lake has its own lines, its own stops and its own seasonal timetables. There are fixed sailings all year round, seasonal extra services in high season and different types of boat – from the leisurely ferry to the fast hydrofoil and the car ferry. Ferry connections run all year round; the summer timetables apply from 1 July to 4 October 2026, and a similar framework is expected for 2027.
Important to know: public boats and private charters are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary – they complement each other perfectly. In the morning take the scheduled boat from point A to B, in the afternoon a private cruise on the gaff cutter. Public transport gets you efficiently to your destination; the private tour delivers the unforgettable experience.
Before studying timetables, decide: which places do I want to see? The three lakes have different characters:
Recommendation: first choose the places you want to visit – then look for the matching connections on the Navigazione Laghi website.
The timetables for the 2027 season are expected to be published in spring – following the usual pattern, where the summer timetable starts at the end of March/beginning of April. The Striga Constanze season already starts on 1 March 2027.
How to use the timetables:
You can buy tickets in three ways:
Common ticket types: single journey, return, day passes (Libera Circolazione) and multi-trip cards. A ticket for the central lake area allows unlimited travel for one day.
Boarding is straightforward: waiting area at the pier, a short ticket check when boarding, on board. In high season (July/August) you should be at the pier 20–30 minutes before departure – at hotspots like Stresa, Como or Bellagio even earlier to avoid queues.
The state-run scheduled service on the northern Italian lakes has a history of almost 200 years. Since the first steamships Verbano and Lario in the 1820s, a network has developed that today functions as part of the region's mobility infrastructure.
Even small places without a railway station or bus connection can be reached by boat. More than 100 landing stages on three lakes ensure that hardly any lakeside town is cut off.
Ferries for a leisurely panorama with many intermediate stops, hydrofoils and rapid services for fast connections (fast boats take about 45 minutes from Como to Bellagio), and car ferries on certain routes. Car ferries connect Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio.
A ticket from Como to Bellagio costs about €10–12; the fast-boat service costs about €15–17. A day pass is well below what parking fees and fuel would cost.
One boat carries many passengers at once and reduces car traffic along the shores. The strategy paper Piano Industriale 2025–2035 forecasts annual demand growth of +4.4% on Lake Maggiore and +3.3% on Lake Garda.
The contrast with private providers is clear: public boats follow a fixed timetable with fixed stops. Private tours such as those by Striga Constanze follow your preferred route and pace, with skipper, swim stop and personal service – a completely different way of experiencing the lake.
Traditional gaff cutter, red sails, just your group. 3, 4 or 7 hours.
from €490
for up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request
In practice
This is what a perfect summer day on Lake Maggiore in 2027 could look like:
Morning: public shipping. You take the ferry from Stresa towards the Borromean Islands. Isola Bella with its baroque gardens, Isola Madre with its botanical park – two stops easily done by scheduled boat. Ferries run all year round, with more frequent services in summer. A day pass for the upper Lake Maggiore covers all journeys. You enjoy the trip with panoramic views, getting on and off as you please. Flexible and affordable.
Afternoon: a private tour on the gaff cutter. From Laveno-Mombello you board the Striga Constanze. Your skipper sails the traditional gaff cutter with its red gaff sails past Santa Caterina del Sasso and the Castelli di Cannero. A swim stop in a hidden bay, an aperitivo at sunset. No timetable, no crowds, no staff urging you to hurry – just wind, water and conversation.
The difference is tangible: in the morning moving efficiently between highlights on the scheduled service, in the afternoon slowing down on your own boat. A hectic shore road becomes a calm voyage. Mass tourism gives way to an exclusive experience in a small group. Both ways have their place – together they make the perfect trip.
Public boats are the base – the infrastructure that makes every lakeside town reachable. Private tours are the highlight that makes the difference between a good holiday and an unforgettable one.
During the day, hop between Varenna, Bellagio and Menaggio by scheduled boat. In the evening, book a private romance tour on the gaff cutter – sunset, a sea of lights, just the two of you (plus skipper).
The public service takes you to beaches, cable cars and water parks. Striga Constanze offers family pirate tours and the exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" – the first exit game on the water on Lake Maggiore.
A day trip by public ferry, followed by a team-building event on board the Striga Constanze. Up to 12 guests on request.
If you want to avoid traffic jams and really experience the lake, use Navigazione Laghi. If you want to create memories, add a private boat.
Other providers
Striga Constanze
Mass experience
just your group
Engine noise
sound of wind and water
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holiday at your own pace
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Bestseller€490
Private tourBestseller€490
Private tour
Bestseller€490
Private tourNavigazione Laghi fares vary by lake, route, boat type and season. Ticket prices were raised by about 15% for 2026 – similar levels are expected for 2027. In general, prices are staggered by distance bands (so-called tratte), and a surcharge on the regular fare applies to fast boats. Day tickets for unlimited travel are available and are worth it for more than two trips a day.
Vehicle crossings by car ferry have separate fares, depending on vehicle length plus driver. Monthly passes are available for commuters.
All prices are fixed prices for the whole private group, including skipper:
Up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 guests on request. With 8 people, the 4-hour tour costs only around €86 per head – less than a dinner in Stresa. Extras such as the exit game (€20 per person), meditation (€20 per person) or a wedding celebration on board (from €690) make every tour individual. In bad weather, rebooking is free.
Recommendation: use Navigazione Laghi for daily transfers, and reserve the private tour on the Striga Constanze for the highlight of your holiday.
No-obligation enquiry, reply within 24 hours. Weekends in the 2027 season go fast.
Every year during the season the same questions come up. Here is the most important information at a glance.
In July and August and on public holidays, you should be at the pier 20–30 minutes before departure. At particularly busy landing stages such as Stresa, Como, Bellagio and Desenzano, queues can be long – allow up to 40 minutes at weekends. Peak times are typically late morning and late afternoon, when day-trippers all set off at the same time.
Season 2027
To sum up: check the timetables on the official website, choose between a single ticket and a day pass, roughly plan your route – and you'll travel stress-free across Italy's most beautiful lakes. Ferry connections on Lake Como run all year round, and Maggiore and Garda also have reliable connections in every season.
Mark your preferred dates for your next holiday now. Check which connections suit your itinerary. And consider whether an afternoon or evening on a private boat could round off your trip perfectly – switching from everyday public transport to an exclusive sailing experience makes all the difference.
For a private boat tour on Lake Maggiore from March 2027: send a no-obligation enquiry via the Striga Constanze contact form or write directly on WhatsApp to +39 333 3802 383. Reply usually within 24 hours. No obligation, no hidden costs – just the first step towards a holiday that begins on the water.
Skipper of the Striga Constanze
Ciao! Questions about the route, departure harbour or date? Just message me – I reply personally.
